Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro issued Executive Order 32 on May 25, 2026, creating a Technical Working Group to handle the controversial 93-1 lots and other occupied provincial properties.
The body, chaired by Provincial Legal Officer Guiler Ceniza, aims to revive stalled negotiations with Cebu City after the province withdrew from a 2018 land swap agreement in April 2025.
Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix Mari "Ace" Durano stated that property valuation remains the main issue to settle, as any property exchange between the two local government units must be "value for value."
CEBU Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has released an executive order (EO) for the composition of the technical working group (TWG) providing legal, technical and policy support handling the controversial 93-1 lots and other occupied provincial properties.
Under EO 32, Provincial Legal Officer Guiler Ceniza will chair the group, with Investments and Promotions Officer Paulo Uy serving as co-chairperson.
Under the executive order signed on May 25, 2026, the appointed members include Provincial Board (PB) Members Raymond Joseph Calderon, chairman of the committee on provincial and municipal properties; Lakambini Reluya, chairman of the committee on commerce and industry; and Andrei Duterte, chairman of the committee on public works, highways and infrastructure.
Representatives from the Provincial Planning and Development Office, Provincial Assessor’s Office, and Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office are also included in the TWG.
According to the EO, the participation of members of the PB is intended to strengthen legislative coordination and policy alignment in crafting solutions for residents and stakeholders affected by the disputed and occupied properties.
The newly formed TWG will operate under the Task Force on the 93-1 Lots and Other Provincial Occupied Lots, which was established through EO 4, Series of 2025.
“The complexity of the legal, technical, urban planning, socialized housing, and policy issues surrounding the 93-1 lots and other provincial occupied lots necessitates the creation of a dedicated technical working group to assist the task force in the conduct of technical studies, stakeholders coordination, policy formulation and implementation planning,” reads the EO.
Swap deal
The TWG is tasked to conduct legal, technical, and policy studies; consolidate land records and cadastral data; coordinate consultations and negotiations with stakeholders; and formulate legislative and administrative recommendations for consideration by the task force and the governor’s office.
The group will also prepare technical reports, draft agreements, implementation frameworks, and other documents needed to support the province’s efforts to address issues involving the occupied lots.
The creation of the TWG is expected to strengthen the Provincial Government’s efforts to develop a comprehensive and sustainable approach to resolving longstanding concerns involving the 93-1 lots and other occupied provincial properties in Cebu.
In a SunStar Cebu report on May 21, the Provincial Government formed the body to revive stalled negotiations with Cebu City over the decades-long dispute, which affects urban poor occupants across 11 barangays.
Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix Mari “Ace” Durano said in the same report that property valuation remains the main issue to settle, as any property exchange between the two local government units must be “value for value.” The move comes after the province withdrew from a 2018 land swap agreement in April 2025.
Enacted through Provincial Ordinance 93-1 in 1993, the program allows urban poor residents to acquire lots owned by the provincial government across 11 barangays in Cebu City, including Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega, Kasambagan, Capitol Site, Tejero, Kamputhaw, and Kalunasan.
In August 2018, then Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña and then governor Hilario Davide III signed a major land swap agreement to resolve the issue. The Province agreed to donate 32 hectares of occupied lots to the city in exchange for prime properties, including parcels in the South Road Properties and Mabolo.
In April 2025, then governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced that the Capitol had withdrawn from the 2018 deal due to discrepancies, and imposed a deadline limiting eligibility to occupants with active Pag-Ibig Fund housing loan applications. / CDF